U.S. patent application number 11/415245 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-11 for phone connected to a personal computer.
This patent application is currently assigned to PCHOME ONLINE INC.. Invention is credited to Chao-Han Chang.
Application Number | 20070010298 11/415245 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36589941 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070010298 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang; Chao-Han |
January 11, 2007 |
Phone connected to a personal computer
Abstract
An internet phone with a speaker plug includes: a mini-speaker,
a microphone, an USB plug, an USB audio chip, a wire and a switch,
wherein the USB audio chip electrically connects the microphone and
the USB plug; the USB plug is connected to an external computer;
and the speaker plug is connected to an external speaker. The
switch is used for internet phone providing two states, the first
state being able to electrically connect a mini-speaker with a USB
plug but not with the speaker plug, the second state being able to
electrically connect the USB plug with the speaker plug but not
with the mini-speaker.
Inventors: |
Chang; Chao-Han; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BACON & THOMAS, PLLC
625 SLATERS LANE
FOURTH FLOOR
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Assignee: |
PCHOME ONLINE INC.
Taipei
TW
|
Family ID: |
36589941 |
Appl. No.: |
11/415245 |
Filed: |
May 2, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/575.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 1/6058 20130101;
H04M 1/2535 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/575.2 |
International
Class: |
H04M 1/00 20060101
H04M001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 8, 2005 |
TW |
094211678 |
Claims
1. An internet phone with a speaker plug comprising: a microphone;
a mini-speaker; a USB plug; a USB audio chip for electrically
connecting the microphone and the USB plug; a speaker plug for
connecting to an external speaker; and a switch providing two
states, the first state capable of electrically connecting the
mini-speaker with the USB plug but not with the speaker plug, the
second state capable of electrically connecting the USB plug with
the speaker plug but not with the mini-speaker.
2. The internet phone with a speaker plug as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the internet phone with a speaker plug is ear-hanging
type.
3. The internet phone with a speaker plug as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the internet phone with a speaker plug is handheld
type.
4. A mini-speaker with a switch device comprising: a mini-speaker;
a USB plug; a USB audio chip for electrically connecting the
microphone and the USB plug; a speaker plug being a concentric
barrel plug for connecting to an external speaker; and a switch
providing two states, the first state being able to electrically
connect the mini-speaker with the USB plug but not with the speaker
plug, the second state being able to electrically connect the USB
plug with the speaker plug but not with the mini-speaker.
5. The mini-speaker with a switch device as claimed in claim 4,
wherein the mini-speaker with a switch device is ear-hanging
type.
6. The mini-speaker with a switch device as claimed in claim 4,
wherein the mini-speaker with a switch device is handheld type.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an internet phone, and,
more particularly, to an internet phone connected to a personal
computer.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] With the growth of internet technology, internet phones have
been developed, which include VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
and Skype. Compared to traditional phones, internet telephone usage
charges are much lower, or even free. Because in the last few years
the quality of internet phone technology and devices has
continuously improved, internet telephones are becoming more and
more popular. The prior art internet phone includes a mini-speaker,
a microphone, a mini-speaker plug and a microphone plug. When a
user is using the internet phone, he or she needs to respectively
connect the mini-speaker plug and the microphone plug into an audio
card of a computer. When a call comes in, the mini-speaker is used
for receiving the caller's voice, but if the user is listening to
music at the time, he or she has to unplug the speaker plug and
replace it with the mini-speaker plug. Therefore, the mini-speaker
plug and the speaker plug are often swapped, which is very
inconvenient for the user and may cause damage to the mini-speaker
plug and the microphone plug.
[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to provide an internet phone
capable of connecting to a computer that mitigates and/or obviates
the aforementioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a
internet phone, and when a user uses the internet phone he or she
can choose to use a mini-speaker to receive the calling voice from
the internet phone or choose a speaker to directly play the calling
voice.
[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, an
internet phone with a speaker plug of the present invention
comprises: a mini-speaker, a microphone, an USB plug, an USB audio
chip, a wire and a switch, wherein the microphone is electrically
connected to the USB plug, the USB plug is connected to an external
computer, the speaker plug is a concentric barrel plug connected to
an external speaker. The switch is used for internet phone
providing two states, the first state being able to electrically
connect a mini-speaker with a USB plug but not with the speaker
plug, the second state being able to electrically connect the USB
plug with the speaker plug but not with the mini-speaker. The
present invention can enable the user to choose the proper state to
receive the calling voice from the internet telephone.
[0008] Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an internet phone with a
speaker plug according to a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a functional block drawing of the present
invention.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of an internet phone with a
speaker plug according to a second embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic
drawing of an internet phone with a speaker plug according to a
first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional
block drawing of the present invention. In the first embodiment, an
internet phone 10 is ear-hanging type and comprises: a mini-speaker
11 (e.g. earphone), a microphone 12, a USB audio chip 20, a USB
plug 30, a speaker plug 40, at least one wire 60 and a switch 80.
The microphone 12 and the USB plug 30 are electrically connected to
each other, and the USB plug 30 can be connected to a computer 90.
The speaker plug 40 is a concentric barrel plug and may be
connected to a speaker 50. Two wires 60 are separately connected to
the USB plug 30 and the speaker plug 40. The USB audio chip 20
converts the analog information output by the microphone 12 into
digital information and outputs this digital information to the
computer 90; the USB audio chip 20 also converts digital
information provided by the computer 90 into analog information,
and outputs this analog information to the mini-speaker 11 or the
speaker 50.
[0013] The switch 80 is used to provide two states for the internet
phone 10: the first state is able to electrically connect the
mini-speaker 11 to the USB plug 30 but not to the speaker plug 40;
the second state is able to electrically connect the USB plug 30 to
the speaker plug 40 but not to the mini-speaker 11. In the first
state, audio from the internet phone 10 is sent to the mini-speaker
11 to maintain privacy. In the second state, the speaker plug 40
can be connected to the speaker 50, and the speaker 50 plays the
call audio. Therefore, the user can use the switch 80 to choose how
to listen to the audio from the internet phone. Moreover, the
internet phone 10 with the speaker plug does not have to have the
microphone 12, and instead may simply be used only with the
mini-speaker 11 and the switch 80.
[0014] Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a schematic
drawing of an internet phone with a speaker plug according to a
second embodiment of the present invention. A main difference
between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the
internet phone 10a is handheld type; the mini-speaker 11 and the
microphone 12 can be disposed on the handheld type internet phone
10a, and the switch 80 can also be disposed on the internet phone
10a.
[0015] Although the present invention has been explained in
relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that
many other possible modifications and variations can be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as
hereinafter claimed.
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